We were mostly out of breath when we reached the top of Azure, but the view of the landscape stole whatever breath we had left. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I've had in 2014, and that's why I took this particular photo. It felt like a fantasy.

The elevation change from the start of the hike to the top was about 944 feet, and it's about a mile both ways (quite a steep hike!) The view shows the natural history of the area - during the last Ice Age, when the ice was melting and the land beneath it shifting drastically, valleys were carved in the land by the moving water and debris, and mountains such as Azure were left in the wake of the melting water. One can see this from the top of the mountain - there are countless other mountains scattered both near and far on the horizon, and deep valleys in between them, forming a basin-like landscape.